President Lee Jae-myung stated today (September 16) that "(South Korea and Central Asia) must prepare for the next 30 years together on the foundation of cooperation built over the past 30 years."

President Lee attended the Korea-Central Asia Summit alongside the leaders of five Central Asian nations—Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan—and delivered an opening address.

President Lee assessed that "today, the world is facing an era of great transformation where the economy and security are closely linked, ranging from supply chains and energy to markets and technology."

He emphasized the necessity of cooperation between South Korea and Central Asia, saying, "The 'Silk Road spirit' of Central Asia, which connected people, technology, and culture between East and West, is needed more urgently than ever."

President Lee remarked, "In the past, our ethnic Korean compatriots (Koryoin) took root in Central Asia and served as a solid bridge connecting South Korea and Central Asia," adding, "Based on these long-standing historical ties, South Korea and the five Central Asian nations have fostered a relationship of trust and broad cooperation across trade and investment, industry and infrastructure, and education and culture."

He further noted, "The respective strengths of the Republic of Korea and Central Asia will provide boundless opportunities to tackle our respective challenges together," predicting that "above all, when our cooperation expands beyond individual countries to the regional level, we will be able to hasten a future of shared prosperity even further."

President Lee added, "I hope our meeting today will serve as an important milestone leading to a new leap forward."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)